Costa Rica Fire Phoenix Estate Story Information_Black Rose Coffee Bean Natural Sun-Dried Wine Flavor Process

Coffee Profile

Country: Costa Rica

Region: Central Valley

Altitude: 1,600m

Processing Method: Natural Process

Grade: SHB

Variety: Caturra

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Notes: Subtle citrus aroma and honey sweetness, rich nutty aroma like roasted walnuts with delicate oiliness, round and full-bodied, featuring honey, cardamom, and citrus flavors, reminiscent of coffee candy.

Coffee is an important economic pillar for Costa Rica, and the country has been cultivating it for 200 years. That long history is why Costa Rican coffee is known worldwide for its full-bodied beans, well-judged acidity, and distinctive, intense aromas. The careful processing behind every lot is what produces such consistent quality, delivering flavors that are mild yet rich.

Alto San Pedro Farm was one of the first estates in Costa Rica to produce natural and honey-processed coffees. Its Blue Sapphire and Black Rose lots are especially fine natural products that rely on special processing, extending the drying time of both on raised beds. The difference lies in the drying and fermentation environment: Blue Sapphire is dried and fermented at low temperature, while Black Rose undergoes high-temperature drying and fermentation. Given those contrasting conditions, Blue Sapphire develops a distinct, delicate profile, while Black Rose delivers the rich, intense character of a classic natural coffee.

Black Rose

Processing Method: Natural Process

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Notes: Blackberry, jasmine floral aroma, wine-like notes, nuts, citrus fruits

Blue Sapphire

Processing Method: Natural Process

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Notes: Berries, tropical fruits, cocoa sweetness, honey sweetness

Set on the fertile hills of Poas Volcano in Costa Rica's Central Valley, Alto San Pedro Farm is one of the earliest producers in Central and South America to begin making honey-processed and natural coffees, and it is a fully 100% organically grown estate. The owner believes organic farming is the better choice for both the environment and family health, and despite the many technical and organizational challenges, that commitment has never wavered. The coffees from this estate are all highly distinctive, and their most striking feature is astonishing sweetness. The farm drew wide recognition after entering the Specialty Coffee Competition in 2009. During harvest it uses a Brix meter - standard equipment in the wine industry - to measure the sugar content of the fruit, setting the optimal picking time and processing method from those readings, and only fruit exceeding 20% sugar content is selected for natural processing. For comparison, common fruits measure around 14 Brix for apples, 12 for lemons, and 18 for passion fruit, while Alto San Pedro's coffee cherries can reach 21-22%. The farm also takes environmental processing seriously (collecting rainwater for coffee processing, for example) and relies on vermicomposting - worm composting - for its organic fertilizer, keeping the entire growing process free of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Black Rose

During natural drying on African raised beds, Black Rose needs only a few turnings per day, which leaves the coffee with more pronounced fruit flavors.

Bean Origin: Costa Rica Coffee - Central Valley - Alto San Pedro Farm - Black Rose

Region Information: Central Valley - Alto San Pedro Farm / Caturra, Catuai, SHB / 1300-1500m

Processing Method: Natural / Medium-light roast

Grind Size: 3.5

Dose: 15g

Ratio: 1:16

Water Temperature: 90°C

Dripper: V60

Brew Time: 2 minutes 10 seconds

FrontStreet Coffee Cupping Notes: Strawberry, blueberry, grape, red wine, fermented aroma, smooth and full-bodied

The dry aroma of this bean already announces its natural character, with wine-like notes front and center.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended Brewing Parameters: V60/90°C/1:15/15g/medium-fine grind/2-minute brew

Brewed by FrontStreet Coffee's barista, the cup opens with a pronounced grape acidity - yet not the clean, watery sensation of pure grape juice. Instead it is full-bodied, with strawberry sweetness and hints of fermented berry. That weight and richness keep the flavors from turning thin or monotonous, and the finish carries a persistent chocolate mellowness. As the coffee cools from medium to low temperature, the wine-like quality becomes more and more apparent.

Because the ground coffee looked closer to a medium roast, the temperature was lowered to 90°C and the technique adjusted to draw out more sweetness. The sweetness, however, came through lower than expected, while the grape acidity made a stronger impression than anticipated.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Natural coffee's strength is exactly what Black Rose delivers - ripe, fruit-forward intensity - and FrontStreet Coffee's Sun-Dried Huakui is a great next stop. Grown in the Hambella area of Guji, Sidamo, at very high altitude and natural-processed, it is medium-light roasted to reveal a gentle fermented wine note, florals, citrus, and mango, with honeyed sweetness, a cocoa edge, and a trace of spice. The body is thick and the finish lingers, a textbook example of a bold natural.

If you want the complexity of a modern natural technique, look to FrontStreet Colombia Sidra. It goes through a double anaerobic natural process - the cherries are fermented whole in sealed tanks before drying - which amplifies tropical fruit aromatics. Expect passion fruit, apricot, dried fruit, and grape, with an almond-like nuance and a dense, syrupy texture. It works beautifully as pour-over, cold brew, drip bag, or moka pot.

And for an entry point into the sun-dried style, FrontStreet Yirgacheffe Sun-Dried Red Cherry is hard to beat: only fully ripe red cherries are laid on raised beds, and the medium-light roast keeps the elegant florals and bright acidity while adding clear tropical fruit, a full fermented sweetness, and a rounded body.